Shooting in Wrigley Field.

On Thursday, May 24th, I was an extra on set for "a football movie with Dennis Q uaid in it". I don't want to reprint the title here as that's searchable by Google and Yahoo and I don't want the production staff to come back here and see these pics. So, you'll have to do a little work on IMDB to see what movie I'm talking about here.

Technically, the movie isn't about Mr. Q uaid's character. He plays the coach of the college football team that subject of the movie played on. The movie is actually about a guy named Ern ie Dav is. He played for Syracuse in the 60's and was the first black football player to win the Heisman trophy. After that, he was picked up by the Cleveland Browns but got leukemia and died before he ever played a game with the team. Which is just sad enough of a story that a movie clearly needed to be made about it.


The actual Ern ie Dav is.

The shoot in Wrigley Field on a nice summer night, was actually my second day on the set.

A week earlier, I was called to Evanston at 5AM to be an extra in the same movie. By sheer dumb luck, they drafted me onsite to be a football player in the shoot. I readily agreed, because I knew that it was a football movie and that football players were going to get more face time than the "regular, background extras".

One thing that I've learned about being an extra is that it's all a case of "right place, right time." Sheer dumb luck propels you forward from the line of "anonymous faces in the crowd" to "guy who is really close to the camera" getting what the other extras called "major face time".

In Evanston, it was sheer dumb luck that I chose an orange helmet and not a white one. As it turned out, the orange helmet was for Syracuse, the team that the Mr. Davis played for. The white helmets were for Texas, the team that we were playing against. If I'd happened to choose the white helmet, I would've been on the OTHER side of the football field, entirely and a million miles away from the nearest movie camera.

I grabbed my bag full of football gear and headed over to the chow tent to suit up. This is what I looked like in my football uniform.



There I am. Number 25 for Syracuse. The world's fattest quarterback.

Interesting bit of trivia about that, one of the sub-coaches had a clipboard with a replica of the actual Syracuse roster on it. We looked up #25 and here's what it told us about him. His name was actually Samuel Clollelo. He was 5'9" and weighed 178 lbs. He was 19 years old at the time of the 1960 Cotton bowl and actually played in the game, itself.
This little bit of information was a source of constant merriment on the sidelines.

"When you gettin' in that game, QB?"

"Looks like you put on a few pounds in the off season."

"Clear room for the QB. Quarterback coming through!"

and

"178 lbs? I forgot to mention that I ate a dog before the game today."

(That last one was my own little joke.)

All in all, it was a fine day to spend outside. The wind was up and that kept everything pretty cool. We were constantly given water to drink and sunscreen to wear. By the end of the day, I only had a little bit of a rosey tint on my neck and face. Other guys were fried to a crisp. That's what you get for not wearing the sunscreen.

At the end of the day, we were all surprised when the director of the movie and the two lead actors showed up to shoot some stuff. Instantly we got bumped up from Second Unit to First Unit.
The shot was supposed to be the end of the game when the two teams pass by each other, saying "good game" and so forth. Two bad guys on the other team stop Davis and grudgingly admit that he played a good game. When you see that scene in the movie, look for me to pass right by the action, as they're having it out. I got some "major face time" at the end of that day.



MORE TO COME...

Monday Pictures Present: Safety First!

Hey hey! My short film is finished and posted on Youtube.

Check it out...



Big props to Chip, Stacey, Jessica, Matt, Ryan and Bob for seeing it through to fruition.

Cheers,
Mr.B

EDITED TO ADD LATER:
I had my camera on "the set" and had the folks there take some pics of the filming. I thought they might make interesting additions to this entry. Check it out...


This is Chip and Stacey ready to to make their first entrance into the start of the short film. We called this "position 1". We had to reset to it and redo their entrance a couple of times over.




This is me giving Stacey and Chip some notes on the actual physics of stepping off of the corner and "accidentally" grabbing Stacey's boob. Believe it or not, getting that small action to happen naturally and then hold in place took a lot of rehearsal. We also planned out their traffic patterns and cheated them close to the building and had Stacey slow down her walk to give Chip time to make the corner and step out and hold her back. There were quite a few rehearsals to get it just right. In the end, though, they absolutely nailed it. And were able to duplicate it time after time after time.

This is me watching one of the rehearsals. One thing that didn't get photographed was the two or three dozen times that I ran across a busy Lawrence Ave to check camera setup or to give Chip and Stacey a note from something that we'd seen. It's funny but the street was a constant stream of traffic the whole time we were there, but you really can't tell it from the film. We noticed that in editing. And decided to try to actually use shots that didn't show how insanely busy that street was on a busy Memorial Day.

Ryan was our "Production Assistant" on the set. He held the ipod docking station that we used for onset playback. It was actually pretty useful. The swoop around Chip's arm to Stacey's boob and back up to her face was done to the music. As was the triple boob squeeze. He also acted as Stacey's personal assistant, carrying her makeup case and bringing her snacks. So, that's why he got credited for that.
Also, because when we were making the credits he said, "Can I also be listed as Personal Secretary to Stacey?"
Done and done!

Matt and Bob acted as cameramen for the gig. That's Bob in the white and Matt waving at the camera. Bob did most of the across the street shots and Matt did the handheld shots. He also edited the film and had a small cameo in the end as "Guy Who Gets Grabbed By The Crotch."

Finally, here's some very nice widescreen shots of the set, from the cameras setup point. It gives you an idea how lovely and sunny the day really was and how nice and ratty that old building was. Originally, I was going to shoot the other side of the street and film the whole thing against a parking lot background (which would also allow me to shoot some aerial footage from the Ravenswood Metra overpass), but on the day of, I switched the street sides, because that ratty, old run-down chicken restaurant made a much better background. I wouldn't be surprised if that thing got bulldozed in the next year. Such is the way of life in this city.

Anyways, here's the two nice shots...

Monday Pictures Present: The Five Second Rule.

For the past month or so, I've been involved with a short film group. We call ourselves "Monday Pictures", well, because we meet on Monday evenings to discuss scripts, projects and shooting schedules. So far, we've shot and edited one film, shot, but not edited another one and have shot and almost finished editing a third film. We're also working on a Vidiocy project, which will begin production this week. So, we're actually moving forward and getting things done.

By the way, the people in the group are me, Bob, Stacey, Ryan, Erin and Matt. Occasionally Dave Colan visits us. And I think James is joining us for his first meeting with the group, next Monday.

This short film is the first thing that we made together. The idea behind it was Ryan's. He was discussing short film projects that could be shot in one evening at Bob and Stacey's apartment. By eliminating location shoots and effects and large casts and keeping things small and tight, we could shoot a short film in one evening, whenever we wanted to. This was the idea he presented as an example and we liked it so much that we went ahead and shot it, on the spot.

It's called "The Five Second Rule".



My short film, "Safety First" is done and in the can. We shot it on Memorial Day in about 2 hours. It took about 3 hours to edit it together. Matt is going to add a few small sound effects and tweak the end credits and it'll be ready to post online, too.

It's a small, short, silly idea, but I really like it. I guess you'll have to see it to see what it's about. I'll post it here as soon as it's up.

Anyways, Enjoy "The Five Second Rule". The first of many film projects that we're going to be working on, together.

Cheers,
Mr.B

One more bit of movie news...

I have an appointment on Tuesday of next week with the folks who the crew who are working on that "Millionaire Playboy as Flying Rodent" movie that I mentioned earlier. They want me to fill out some paperwork and take some pictures and check some dates with me for June, July and August. To see if I am available for those film shoots.

Yes, Motherfucker, I most certainly am.

Put me in your movie, dammit.



Apparently, I have a new hobby.

Speaking of hobbies, I am breaking down tomorrow and finally getting rid of the seven long boxes of comics that I've been toting around since college. Entire runs of Sandman Mystery Theater, Starman, JLA, Aquaman, The Flash, Kingdom Come, Marvels, Sumer Events, Crossovers, One Issue Specials, Annuals. They're all going to Dark Tower comics, up here by my house.

The thing is, I haven't bought a new comics off the rack since 2002. I do still collect the trades, but they're few and far between. I am keeping those, of course.

Joe's helping me transport all 7 long boxes to the comic shop. I'll use the cash from the trade to grab a trade paperback or two and then give the rest to Joe, as traveling money for his trip this weekend.

As of tomorrow, my load is considerably lighter and I am out of the "Storing Fucking Comics That I Don't Actually Read Anymore" business.

Merrily I roll along...
Mr.B

My Sequel...

Well, I got the call tonight.



Tomorrow I'm back on the set for more extra work. We're filming all night long in the cities oldest, most beautiful ball park.



My good friend, Bob, is also scheduled to shoot with me too. So, I'll have a buddy there with me. Which will make the whole experience that much better.

They've also asked if I was available for filming on Friday too. I told them that I was. (I have both days off from the office. It looks like that's going to be happening a lot, actually. More on that later, I am sure.)

I crunched some numbers and these two days, if they go as long as the first one, will cover my entire rent for next month. How cool is that?

Also, I chatted with my friend, Johnny, tonight and he reccomended two other good casting agencies. Suddenly it looks like all of this is very much in reach.

I think that I am going to get some good headshots.
I think that I am going to update my acting resume.
I think that I am going to start going out and auditioning for commercials and film projects.
I think that I can do it now.
I think that I am ready now.



This might be a lot of fun.

Cheers,
Mr.B

David Armand's Karaoke for the deaf.

Kudos to Diane for sending me the link to this guy's Youtube clips. She says that he reminds her of Rowan Atkinson and I am inclined to agree. He's got a very tight physial control. Pretty sweet.

Enjoy,
Mr.B

Natalie Imbruglia's "Torn"


Oasis's "Don't Look Back In Anger".

The Dirtiest Building In Chicago.

This building is on Clinton, about one block south of Lake. Right by where I currently work. Every time I walk to the Metra station for lunch, I walk right past it. And I giggle.
Because it REALLY IS the dirtiest building in Chicago.

Take a look.



What? You can't see it?

Look again.



Dirty.
Dirty.
Dirty.

Cheers.
Mr.B

The Playground Prom.

On Saturday night, after a long, hot, tiring day of the film shoot, I raced back to the Playground for the Stinger show. I had just enough time at the theater to race into the bathroom, throw on my kilt and hit the stage. I'm not sure if anyone took pics, but if they did, I'll try to get them posted here.

It wasn't our best show. There were a couple of moments where literally "NOTHING" was happening onstage. And a couple of us (myself definitely included) missed key details, like familial relationships and names and spent the rest of the show either not partioipating (for fear of screwing up continuity) or taking wild stabs (and thereby messing up continuity). All in all it was a C+.

After the show, though, we crossed the street to hit Spin for the Improv Prom. I danced the night away in my kilt, always threatening to raise it too high and show people my "sheleleighie and my shamrocks". Honestly, I was so exhausted from the day and then liberally lubricated by the free drinks that they provided, that I had little to say to anyone beyond, "Yes. I am wearing a kilt. No, I'm not exactly Scottish."

Sheer Exhaustion + Free Alcohol = Incoherent Me.

Pictures were taken at the prom. Here's one of them.



I added the text later for something on the Stinger Yahoorgroup. I'm sure that other pics of me, acting a fool in my kilt will pop up, later.

Also, K's girlfriend, L, was not pleased that she and I rubbed bare leggins together in the picture. When we struck the pose, L plainly said, "No. Don't...Oh all right." Apparently she thinks that I am incorrigible.
I made it up to her by telling her how smoking hot she looked and trying to play cupid so that she and her girlfriend would go home and jump each other's bones. Dunno if it worked, but my intentions were good.

Yes, so, that was the Improv Prom this year.

Cheers,
Mr.B

The Face of The New Joker!

Well, I had a blast on the film set. What a surreal experience. I want to blog something longer and more detailed about the whole event, but let me just hit the salient details here.

-No, I did not meet Dennis Quaid.
-Yes, I did meet Rob Brown (the other lead of the movie).
-No, we aren't best pals, but he is a nice, easy, likable guy who isn't shy about joking around with one of the extras. I'm not making it out to be a big thing. He was joking around with some friends of his and I happened to be there and I laughed along with him. Not a big deal.
-I had a blast being on the movie set, though.
-I met some pretty nice guys, including veteran extras and some "photo double".
-Most of my stuff was 2nd unit stuff, centered around the 1960 Cotton Bowl. So, when the movie releases in 2009, you can look for me in there. (Sort of.)
-I am going to try to be back on the set for Tuesday and Thursday of next week.
-The Worst Part of the day was getting up at 3:30 in the morning to make my 5AM call. I was literally thinking about "no calling, no showing" and just bagging on any future extras work, at all. I drug my ass to Evanston though, and I am so, so, so glad that I did.
-The Best Part was getting bumped up to a much better gig and watching a professional film crew work on a major Hollywood film, all day long. Getting some screen time would just be a nice bonus. (As will the medium-sized paycheck that the gig gave me.)

Anyways, it was a really great experience. But to get it all, from the tedious details to the really glorious stuff, I'll need some time to assemble a proper blog entry. I've already found several images that I want to include in it. I need a few more and I'll be ready to get it all down.

In the meantime, look at this!



That's the first released image of Heath Ledger as "The Joker" in the upcoming sequel to "Batman Begins". Harry Knowles called it "one of those Gacey paintings come to life" and I agree. The scar tissue is creepy as Hell. I much prefer this interpretation of "the Clown Prince of Crime" to the previous ones. I think Nolan and crew are on the right track with this one.

Heck, I might get to see that thing in action, some time soon.

More info to come, I am sure.

Cheers,
COB

They're Gonna Put Me In The Movies!

I got some exciting news yesterday and I thought I'd mention it here. But due to the natural secrecy of the industry, I'm going to have to leave a lot unsaid here. I'll drop clues. You fill in the rest. Ask questions below, if anything is unclear.

Saturday afternoon I got a call from a person I'd never met before from a local casting agency. They still had my resume and headshot from when I auditioned for them in 2004, for the Batman Begins. They were looking to book me to appear as an extra in a movie that's filming here in Chicago, right now.

There are currently two movies filming in Chicago this summer, that I know about.

One of them is a Dennis Quaid football movie.

The other one is the sequel to a very popular comic book movie about a guy who puts on a black suit and fights crime and in this movie has to defeat a guy who dresses up like a clown and menaces people and whatnot.(Got all of that?)




The casting company was calling me about the football movie. They need guys to go up to Evanston on Friday and Saturday and be football fans in the stadium. I called them back and booked the work with them. As luck would have it, I wasn't scheduled to work on Friday anyways. And I don't have to be anywhere on Saturday, until the evening. So this could work out pretty well.

Plus, it's a paying gig. So, I'll get paid to sit in a stadium and watch them film a football movie.




Some interesting quirks about the gig.

-I have to shave on Thursday night. They want clean-shaven faces on all of their extras.
-I have a "costume" that they want me to wear. Khaki pants, a neutral, button up shirt and a light colored jacket of some kind. Black dress shoes. Apparently, the movie takes place in the 1950's and they want clothes that approximate this look.
-They're going to give me a haircut onset. I see a buzz cut in my immediate future.
-We're going to be fed onset by craft services. (This will be the first time in my life that I've ever gotten to eat graft services. I am excited to eat a meal with people who are in the movie business.)
-I've been told to bring a book. As there will be A LOT of downtime. Also, sun-screen, snacks and a water bottle.

And, if I am available, there's more work on Thursday of next week. So, I might be back onset again, doing more of the same, next week.

Look, I know that this isn't my big break. I honestly am not expecting to stand out or to get exposure or launch a career from this. I am just excited to be a part of a movie shoot and to see the directors and cameras and actors. I am excited by the prospect of being part of the process. I love movies. I love watching them. I think I'll love watching one being made.

Additionally, I am hoping to make a good impression with the casting company and maybe get assigned to that other movie that's filming in Chicago this summer. You know, the one where the guy in the clown makeup fights the playboy millionaire who dresses up like a flying rat and patrols his city.

Yeah, that one.



So, if you're looking for me on Friday or Saturday, check Evanston, IL. in the 1950's. I've got two days of football to be watching!

Cheers,
Mr.B

Introducing Mr. & Mrs. Alan Moore...

This weekend past, Alan Moore and Melinda Gebbie were married in London. My invitation must've gotten lost in the mail. But Neil Gaiman was there and he took some wonderful pictures. (You can view them on his own blog, a link to which is available if you look around my sidebar.)

In lieu of vows, I understand that Mr. Moore wrote a lovely poem/invocation of sorts. I surely would like to read it or hear it, if it gets published online somewhere. I'd be interested to hear what Mr. Moore thinks about Love or Melinda or whatever he chose to write about.

After the ceremony, there was a reception and a Gonzo Dog Doh-Dah Tribute Band performed. I'm sure that was something to see. It looks like everyone had a really lovely time.

Anyways, somewhere on the other side of the world, a writer that I really like married his very dear friend and for a time, Alan Moore wasn't "Alan Moore, ground-breaking author of several critically-acclaimed graphic novels and comic books", but was, instead, "Alan Moore, Groom".

May we all be so lucky.

Cheers,
Mr.B

How I Came To Be A Showman!

Hendo Hatches a Plan.

"Hurry Up and eat your sandwich. We gotta go somewhere," said Hendo. He'd just scarfed down a triple decker sandwich from Perry's Deli. I was still in the middle of the second half of my sandwich. I couldn't imagine what kind of burr he'd had up his butt.

"What? Why?" I asked. See? I cut straight through the bullshit. After all, this was Perry's Deli, we're talkin' about here.

"I want to go show you something. It'll be fun." he said. And I could see from the devils smile that he was spreadin' that it was going to be trouble, "And if they'll let us. We're going to join today."

"Join Today?" Join WHAT today?

Clearly, Hendo had a plan for something and since those usually lead to some sort of crazy ass adventure, who was I to get in the way? I finished my sandwich and cleared the table and we began our walk down Franklin Ave.

"I saw this place on my walk over to the deli and I was like, WHAT IS THAT? I had to cross the street to check it out. You're gonna love this. I think we should join." I scanned ahead, but I had no idea what he was talking about. But he was so excited. It had to be good, whatever it was.

And so we stopped walking at the corner of Franklin and Randolph and Hendo gestured at the building there and said, "Ta Daaaaaaah!" It was a little 4 story building. Downstairs was a tiny hot dog joint.



Truth be told, I'd walked past it a million times in the three years that I used to work by it. But I'd never taken the time to really explore it. Over top of each window on the building, there were these cast iron elephants, trunks raised in mid-hoot.



The awning out front told me that it was the National Headquarters of the Showmen's League of America.



I stood there, looking up at the building and thinking, "What are we doing here?". But before I could ask him, Hendo already had his phone out, and was calling someone. He looked at me and smiled, "You just wait. This'll be great."

Someone on the other end of the phone answered and Hendo said. "Hello. My name is Mark Henderson. And I am a Showman. I'd like to join your League."

There was a pause and then the guy on the other end asked something.

Hendo said, "Yes. I'm ABSOLUTELY serious. How do I join?"

The guy on the other end of the phone, who turned out the be the treasurer, directed us to call the main office and explain what we wanted, to their secretary, Diane. Hendo repeated the number to me and hung up. I gave him back the number and he called Diane.

"Hello. Yes. My name is Mark Henderson. I just got off the phone with your treasurer and he advised me to call you. I am a showman and I'd like to join your League."

A pause.

"Well, I am actually standing outside your office, right now. Are you inside."

As it turns out, she was. Diane agreed to bring down two applications to us. Hendo hung up and laughed out loud. "She's bringing us the applications. I told you that this was going to be fun!"

And that's when I started giggling.



An Abridged History of The Showmen's League of America.

This is taken directly from their website.

On February 19,1913, a small group of dedicated "out-of-doors showmen" met at the Saratoga Hotel, in Chicago, Ill. Those present agreed that the time had come for an international organization that would cater to the needs and wishes of carnival people everywhere, through good times and bad. Thus, The Showmen's League of America was born.

U. J. "Sport" Hermann chaired this historic meeting. Under his stewardship, committees were formed and a slate of officers plus a Board of Governors acted upon. Subsequently, Colonel William "Buffalo Bill" Cody, famed "Wild West" figure and showmen in his own right, was elected the groups first president.



From its very beginning, The Showmen's League of America promoted friendship and good fellowship among its members. but there were other, more lofty aims, as well. Its charter members pledged to care for their industry's needy ... those who were ill, destitute, or without family support. and those who would require proper burial, when the time came and their families could not afford it.

At their first meeting, the showmen present contributed some $1,385.00 - an impressive sum in those days - to get their program underway. They also selected the elephant as the symbol of their League, describing their choice thusly:

"The elephant in rampant, with uplifted trunk, exemplifying in every particular the characteristics of the showman, not only alert and sagacious, but victorious as well"

March 15, 1913, saw the League's first banquet, since an annual tradition. At the initial banquet, the group's bylaws were framed.

The Showmen's League of America has survived and prospered over the ensuing years through the spirit, goodwill and determination established by its 40 charter members and the able and dedicated leaders who followed them. Our founders' legacy is our precious treasure ... and their enduring monument.

Over The Years, The S.L.A. Entertains Between 500And 800 Mentally And Physically Challenged Children Each Year At The League's Annual Christmas Party

These And Numerous Other Unheralded Acts, all trace their Beginnings To That Small Group Of Showmen's meeting In Chicago In 1913. Generation After Generation Of Showmen's League Officers And Members Have Kept Their Hopes And Dreams Alive

The Showmen's League Of America, Recognized And Called "The Mother Club" Of The Amusement World, Begins Its 87Th Year In Celebration Of Its Birthday Feb 19,1999.. At That Time The Over 3,000 Members Of The S.L.A. Within It's Chapters And Ladies Auxiliary, Have Valid Reasons To Say, " We Are Doing A Good job"

Getting Registered!

Diane came down with two applications in hand. She was all smiles, when she looked us over. When it was clear to her that we weren't two thugs, she invited us in.

"Hi, I'm Diane. I'm the acting secretary for the League. How did you guys find out about us?" she asked.

"I was on my way to get lunch with my friend here and I saw your building. I was so excited that I ran across the street, through traffic to come check it out." said Hendo. "This guy and I are in a Burlesque show, actually. We think that might make us eligible for membership."

"Burlesque? Really? We don't see too many of you guys anymore," she said. And she welcomed us into THE VERY TINY ELEVATOR.


Diane, holding up a picture of a famous League Alumni, Gene Autry.

"Didn't I see this elevator in The Producers?" asked Hendo. Diane laughed and packed us all in. Honestly, there wasn't room for a fourth person. Diane was packed between two big beefy guys, as this tiny elevator rattled upwards.

"We just recently renovated the whole building," said Diane, " One of the things that we couldn't do, was to rebuild the elevator shaft. So, we had to find a company that would create an elevator in the original elevator shaft. It's a tight fit. Especially with three people."

She wasn't kidding. We were all smooshed together. I looked over at Hendo and he smiled at me, as if to say, "Do you believe this?"

The elevator dumped us out on the fourth floor at the top of the building. Through all the windows, you had a view of the traffic hustling down Franklin Ave. The place smelled like a library. Old books and dust and a hint of mildew.

Diane directed us to a table, gave us two pens and let us fill out our applications. I got the impression that she'd not actually seen anybody in the office for days. And she confirmed as much.

"Everybody in the League is out on the road, right now. So, I don't get many visitors." she said. While Hendo filled out the rest of his application, Diane showed me a hard-bound copy of Billboard magazine from the 1930's. Apparently, Billboard was the magazine of choice for circus and theater performers, before it turned it's focus solely to music. Diane explained that there'd been a fire at the last location, but that they'd been very lucky to save all the hard bound copies of the Billboards. There were literally almost a hundred boxes of the same books of old Billboards along the walls. Diane said that she passed the quiet times, reading them and learning about the old days of performance.

I looked down at the copy of the book in front of me. From 1932. I read an interesting, short little piece about "The Amazing Chumways". I'll try to recollect it for you, here.

The Amazing Chumways.

The Amazing Chumways to return!
Honolulu,(T.H.)
The Amazing Chumways would like to reassure all of their fans that they will soon return their act to full strength. As you may very well know, Ms. Chumway, who performs under the name "The Amazing Virginia" although her name is actually Doris, suffered an injury recently in the Ball of Death. While riding on the motorcycle with Mr. Chumway, Mrs. Chumway fell off of the motorcycle and suffered some bruises and a shoulder injury.
While Ms. Chumway recovers, Mr. Chumway, who goes by the name "The Amazing Donald" would like everyone to know that he will continue to perform the Ball of Death, nonetheless. When Mrs. Chumway is fully healed, she will return to the act.

The Happy Candidates!

"You know, when I used to perform, I went by the name 'Bubbles'" said Diane.

"Really." said Hendo, "Were you a Burlesque dancer too?"

"Oh my no. I was a Shriner clown for many, many years." said Diane. "The used to call me Bubbles Burmeister. Burmeister is my last name."

"I see," said Hendo. He glanced over at me impatiently, as I struggled to finish my application. I was stuck on one question and what I should say there.

The question was:
Do you Believe in a Supreme Being?

At first,I couldn't believe that it was on the questionnaire in the first place. Do I believe in a Supreme Being? Who the Hell was asking? Didn't this organization know that they could get into a LOT of trouble for asking that? What if I put "Yes, I believe in the Elder Gods Who Shall Not Be Named. They require regular ritual sacrifice." And when my application got rejected, on the very reasonable grounds that I was a complete loony, I'd sue their carney asses off religious discrimination. A problem that they could've avoided if they'd just omitted the question.

To make matters worse, I'm an atheist. I actively don't believe in God. Any god. I don't believe in him/them at all. And would this group shun me, for my different philosophy? Instinctively I assumed that these were all Christians or Catholics, running the group. Would they tolerate a non-believer in the ranks?

I looked at Hendo and he looked ready for me to finish and I just put "Yes, I do." as my answer. I figured that these guys weren't really going to question me for this. And if they did, I could 'fess up. "Yes, I lied on my application, because I didn't want to be shunned by Christian Carneys."

Bubbles took our applications and Hendo's cash (he leaned over to me and said,"You owe me $50, buddy.") and added our names to our notices of membership. Which she gave us, right away.

They looked like this...



Hendo was Member #946.
I was Member #947.

Later, it made me think that an organization that has almost 100 years in existence, has less than a thousands members. Hendo thinks that they just re-use numbers when people die off or leave the group.
I don't think so.
I think that this group never REALLY actively pursued membership and even less so, in these twilight days of the carnival circuits. Less and less people are signing up to join the circus or the carnivals. Even fewer are joining their "mother organization".

Later, Bubbles confirmed this by saying that she'd never had two guys just walk up and join the League before. People usually join after they've begun working for a circus or carnival. They never just show up and join.

Which leads me to think that Hendo and I are getting on board in the twilight days of this organization, too. (Cue sad calliope music.)

Bubbles gave us our letter and cards, and because Hendo sweet-talked her, a couple of t-shirts too. She handed him a receipt and Hendo and I were officially members of League of Showmen of America.



At Hendo's suggestion, we took a few pictures with Bubbles, congratulating us on our new membership.


Bubbles and I are both giggling in this picture.



Hendo joked later that he was going to use this picture, when he ran for president in a few years. Come to think of it, maybe he wasn't joking, after all.

We left the League with our new t-shirts, our letters, and our membership cards. When we got to the street corner, we just stood there laughing for a good, long while.

"See? Didn't I tell you that was going to be awesome?" said Hendo.

"You were right. It WAS an adventure," I said.

"What are you getting into tonight?" asked Hendo.

"I think I'm going to go get my letter framed and hang it up in my room."

"You know. That's not a bad idea, at all." Hendo walked away with his t-shirt draped over his shoulder. When I got home, he emailed this picture to me.



From One Showman to Another.

Cheers,
Mr.B

I join the MySpace ranks. (Sort of)

Well, I planted a tiny flag on planet MySpace yesterday.

After weeks and weeks of hassling by Hendo, I created a "MySpace" page for my character in the Belmont Burlesque Revue.

You can view it here.

So, if you want to be MySpace friends with a fictional character in a show that I've been performing with since December of 2004, now you can!

Just know that I'm updating the page "in character". Second Cousin Joe doesn't know who Mr.B is. Ask him questions about me and he'll have no idea what you're talking about.

That said, it's fun to try to write in the appropriate dialect and explore the various fictional tangents of the character. (For Example, I didn't know that the old lady across the hall from his apartment, uses him as a sex toy, for time on her computer. He is unaware of her carnal needs. He thinks she just likes to lay on his back while he does push-ups.) It's fun fleshing the world out around this character, via this new medium.

Anywho, you can now access me on MySpace.

(Sort of)

Cheers,
Mr.B

"The Sultans Elephant"

Do you need to see a 4 story tall puppet walk around in a London park?

Yes.

Yes, you do.

This is, quite possibly, the MOST INCREDIBLE THING that I've ever accidentally stumbled across on a random Google Search for something else entirely.

Incredible.



Here's the finale.



For more information about "The Sultan's Elephant" by Royal De Luxe, you may want to click here.

On Hold With The Bowling Alleys...

Yesterday, I spent some time on hold with two different Chicago area bowling alleys. My company is planning a bowling fund-raiser and we needed to confirm some possible dates. Whilst on hold, waiting for the bowling alley staff to retrieve their scheduling books, I had plenty of time to listen to and appreciate their "on-hold" music.

Here's what I found out...

Diversey Riverbowl replays commercials for their own business. You'll hear advertisements for league play and birthday party rentals. And each commercial is broken up by a very "Dave n Busters" style chant, "LET'S. GO. BOWLING!"

At Suburbanite Bowl in Downers Grove, when you are put on hold, you enjoy a lovely string quartet, exploring a range of delicate classical music. No commercials. No words at all, actually. Just lovely, lovely chmaber music, to keep you occupied and cultured while you wait.

I'm not critiquing either bowling alley for their musical choices, but I AM inferring a preference. One of them was certainly more pleasant than the other one. I'll leave you to decide which one I liked best.

Cheers,
Mr.B

Will Ferrell's "The Landlord"

Have you seen this yet?

No?

Well, you should probably take a look at it.



Brilliant.

Cheers,
Mr.B

The First Martyrs Show.

Well, this past weekend, the Belmont Burlesque Revue had it's first performance in a space OTHER THAN The Playground. This is a very good thing. We've been selling out consistently enough that there was a definite feeling that we could pack a larger venue, if given the opportunity. The shows producers were pretty much aware of that, but there are some very smart reasons to stay at The Playground. So, while there was an urge to try a larger house, there was never really a drive to find a permanent, larger playing space for the show.

















Along came this Martyrs gig.

Martyrs is a rock and roll venue down on Lincoln, just South of Irving Park. I've walked past it a million times, but never been inside. From what I understand, they've had some pretty big names perform there, before. I don't know if our producer contacted them or if they contacted us, but the long and short of it was, we had a performance set there, for this past Saturday night.

And it was to be a big, BIG show, too. A Canadian burlesque troupe from Ontario, The Steeltown Sirens, was coming down to perform with us. We billed the show as Beauties Across Borders, Canadian Burlesque Meets American Burlesque! Also, Two Troupes for the Price of One. (The $10 price tag was very, very smart.)


Martyrs Before Dark.


Martyrs After Dark.

The Pre-Show.

I got to the theater around 6pm and Mark and Mrs. Green were already there. We'd schedule 6 - 8pm to be our lights and sound rehearsal. Those guys set up the official BBR concession stand. One of the items that they offered for the first time, was a set of nicely produced, glossy photos of the individual cast members. For a few smackers, you could buy these lovely, lovely photos of the girls (and I am not exaggerating here, the girls are heart-breakingly lovely in these photos. Hendo and I are in the classic "Road to Bali" pose.) and for a few smackers more, you can get us to sign the pictures for you, too. And so it was that after the show was all over, I signed my first autograph to somebody, since college. (Where that actually happened quite a bit.)

I can't post copies of those pics of the girls on this blog, because A.) then people would get them for free, instead of paying for them and B.) the girls don't want their faces and lovely naked bits floating around on the Internets and C.) I don't have copies of the pics anyways. But THIS is the "Road To Bali" picture that I mentioned earlier. And it's one of my favorite pics of Me and Hendo. Looking at this pic, you can see why I love doing this show.



I am, of course, referring to the subtle, erotic pleasure of being pressed My-Crotch-To-Hendo's-Ass.

After the "gifts Boutique" was set up, we took the stage for a little bit of lights and sound warming up. Ms.Green got to practice with her fans for a bit.



This next pic is Officially Titled "Thanks, MARK!" Because that's what Ms.Green actually said, after Hendo wandered past her, while she was getting her picture taken. Sometimes, he's like a little kid, that way. (And if you look at his face, he almost looks to me like he KNEW exactly what he was doing. He can be a little bit of a devil that way.)



Of course, Hendo warmed up a bit, too. And let me go on record here and say that Hendo has some pipes on him. I actually listened to him sing a bit, at this show, and I am really impressed by the time and effort that he puts into his songs. I give that guy a lot of shit, but he can work his way around a Sinatra standad like it's nobodies business. It ain't parody people. He's giving you the real thing.

Anyways, here's some pics of Jack Midnight warming up.







After Hendo warmed up, he handed the mic over to D. from the Sirens to do her warm-ups. Her boyfriend, Lee, backed her up on one of her songs. D. has a voice on her, too. She covered "All That Jazz" during the show in this sexy, sort of gartered belted, lingerie outfit. And I remember thinking, "Hell, this would be entertaining, even if she WASN'T taking her clothes off." Which is meant to be a compliment. She was a very talented singer. (In fact, she still is, she's just singing up in Ontario. That's all.)



This is a perfect segue to talk a little bit about the Sirens, actually.

Due to some scheduling problems, our four Sirens dwindled down to two Sirens. But what this company lacked in number, they more than made up with, in talent. Both girls, D. and S. were very, very talented girls. They re-worked a four girl number to be a two girl Opening of Act Two number. And both girls brought two or three solos to the show, too. Later, I found out from Hendo that this was S.'s second show with the Sirens. Which is Incredible, if you think about it, her second show was in Another Country, in front of a packed house! Talk about being thrown into the fire!
I should mention that S.also had this very unique dance style that Hendo and I both noticed. She'd lower her eyes like she was a little bit ashamed of what she was doing and slowly slink back and forth, as clothes just sort of fell off of her. It was very enticing. There was a hint of...what...shame? Pride? Something. There was something going on there that was different than what our girls do. Our girls are very presentational. They say, "Hey fellas, check THIS hot shit out!" and S.'s stage presence was more like, "I am doing this sexy little striptease just for you, fella. But you can't tell anyone that I did this." It's not better than what our girls do, it's just different.
Of course, that could also have been nerves from this being such a big, second show. I dunno.

Offstage, these two girls were also a lot of fun, too. They frequently came down to the stage from the dressing room, during the pre-show, to smoke and grab a beer. And if I was standing around, doing nothing, one of them would slink up to me and press herself against me and purr a bit and then just wander off, leaving me a little bit turned on and a little bit scared. I played it off as a bit, but I was definitely knocked off of my game. Don't believe me? Check this out...



See?
I am "Little Boy" Scared in that pic.

I was also happy to have quite a few friends working the show too...


Greg Inda was onhand to be The Little Man In The Booth. (Which is, I think, his new stage name.)

I really like Greg. I'm really happy that he's agreed to work on our show. The more that I'm around him, the more I like him. He's got some great stories. And he's got a laugh that you can't help but join. And I just love his stories. Greg's also a SUPER talented photographer too. I'll have to get his permission to link you to his pics. I think you'll be impressed.

Speaking of impressive, here's where I mention that Amanda ran the "Gift Boutique". THAT is what i call, Two Effective Marketing Strategies. That's all that I'm going to say about that.


Also on hand, working the door for us, was my good friend, Matt Rossi. Matt's leaving soon to go to grad school at Columbia. I'm really going to miss that fucker. By happy circumstances, I got to see Matt three times in three days. It's going to be hard to let him leave.

Megaprops to Matty for coming, in costume, to work his gig, too. Hendo said, "Oh, he doesn't need to do that" after I mentioned that Matt was going to be spiffed up for the show. I think he looks great. Very period specific. And that's another case of someone working on this show, going the Extra Mile, to make this show succeed.

Walking right past Matt, at the front door, here's a view of what you'd see, walking into our pre-show audience.



I gotta tell you, we packed that joint!
And performing for a GIANT, rowdy, drunk, but actively engaged audience members was a whole different, crazy rush. At The Playground, our little audience is neatly packed into 5 long rows. There's a sense that they're spread out enough that Hendo and I could work our way through the house, if we needed to, slapping around exceptionally rowdy audience members.
This giant space full of people, with TWO bars backing them up is an altogether different creature entirely.
Here are a few pics of what our audience looked like.

(These pics are definitely a little dark, but I didn't want to go around flashing my camera at the audience, riling them up. So, the pics are a little dark.)







That's our audience. There to see us. Ready to be entertained. Also...DRUNK. And they weren't shy, either...

The Show.

How was the show?
Well. I could tell you. Long story short...it was hard, but ultimately rewarding. I'll write more in this section, when I get some of the pics that our photographer shot. Leave it to say that the girls were lovely, lovely, lovely. Hendo was funny. And I did what I normally do, albeit at a much lower volume, as I wasn't miked onstage. It was a good, good show. Most importantly of all, the audience had a good time and that's what matters.



Trust me. I'll tell more in a bit.

The AfterParty.
There are a few stories to tell here too. For example, I could tell you about...
Meeting someone with the same last name.
The Pretty Little Gal who hit on me after the show.
The Peculiar Rewards of Getting Paid for a show. (Don't ask how much! That's between me and my accountant!)
The Afterparty at Gannons Bar.
And the After-Afterparty at the Golden Angel.

With pics to accompany each little mini-story.

But it's late and I need to crash out. Let's call this entry, "A Work In Progress". Look for more to come, tomorrow.

Cheers,
Mr.B


PS. The owner of Martyrs loved us so much that he cornered our producers and got them to swear to bring the show back on July 7th. Which we've agreed to. So, if you missed the fun THIS TIME, you get a second chance at The Second Martyrs Show.